All the recent talk about new routes and schedules for Oak Park mail delivery has got me thinking about the mail more than usual. As someone who is on the Internet day and night working, chatting, posting, surfing and reading, the notion of receiving almost anything in the mail seems a quaint reminder of days past.

When I was young, I eagerly awaited the arrival of the mailman each day because he was guaranteed to be delivering a letter from my old bunkmate at summer camp, the latest issues of Tiger Beat or Right On! magazines or even a birthday card with a few dollar bills. Fast forward to today, and I can't remember the last time I waited for the mail with eager anticipation. There are even days when I'm so distracted by everything else in life - work, play, family and that darn Internet - that I completely forget to check the mailbox.

When I finally do, all I find are unwanted catalogues, flyers and a bill or two. And if that wasn't enough, I'm willing to admit I don't even have mailing addresses for 80 percent of my friends and family members because all those letters and birthday cards I used to send have been replaced with Facebook, e-mail and text messages.

Which brings me to a question: What's with all the fuss about the mail route changes? I certainly feel for the employees who will have their usual routines disrupted and miss the friendships they've made with customers over the years. But from a purely practical perspective, the changes don't seem sweeping enough.

In the age of electronic bill payment, e-mail, Internet marketing and a slower economy, mail delivery six days per week seems like a tradition that has not kept pace with the current times. I wonder how many Oak Park residents would object to receiving their mail every other day, three days per week or even once per week.

Sure, this kind of dramatic shake-up would probably have to occur nationwide because it would require that we all change how we use the mail and delivery time expectations. But in the long run, it seems to make sense when you do the math and think about the cost savings.

Services like Netflix and Paperback Swap make daily mail delivery a necessity for some. But as we are able to receive more information, media and entertainment from the comfort of our home computers, this is certain to evolve. At some point, someone is going to have to ask what the public's mail delivery needs are in the 21st century and what needs to change.

Becca Martin is a four-year resident of Oak Park. She's a communications manager by day and runs the Oak Park online community, LiveHereOakPark.com, by night.